Lightning

Thunder and lightning storm rolled through my area so i decided to snap a couple shots and see what i got. I shot this through my window, witch hasn't been cleaned since i moved in . excuse the hot spots on the street this was one of the first that i took and didn't quite have the exposure perfect yet, however i liked how the lightning looked in this one the most. C&C greatly appreciated

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Great shot! I like your exposure, you captured the street scene and the lightning.

Shaun

Thanks Shaun! Catching the lightning was purely luck.. long shutter speed and (like the Take 5 guy ) A little bit of luck.

Regards
-Mike

The composition is actually rather good, however with the amount of ambient light the exposure should have been shorter and the aperture opened just a little more so the lightning itself would be more defined. The fact that you are above the street allows you to add the traffic without having the power lines in the way which makes this a good shot without the typical distractions of shooting in the city.

Thanks SGT_Hovanec. In later shots i actually exposed it better... however either i didn't capture any lightning in the shot or the it was very faint. So this was the best candidate. I'm waiting for another Storm to roll in so i can try again.

Aside from exposure, is there any reason that opening the aperture makes lightning look more defined?

-Mike

I love it! definately a lot better than the ones that I got. I think its nice to have the traffic below, it really brings out how big the lightning is in comparison. *takes notes

Actually I spent a little more time looking at the shot and you wouldn't have been able to get anything better with changing settings. The lightning is faint for two reasons. It's not a very strong strike, and it's in the rain shaft which is dimming it. Keep at it but be careful, it's VERY addicting. I find myself out at 3am on a week night when I have to be at work at 6am. I just can't get enough of it...unless I get struck! Which may only be a matter of time. As long as I get that shot right?? Good luck!

Yes, it would do better if you had extended the shutter a little longer so that the traffic is free flowing, it looks jagged at the moment. Still an awesome shot though

What's the blue light near the curb?? It's one of the main reasons I really like the traffic in this specific shot. You have the typical red, yellow, and white but then there is the single blue line that adds a different touch to it.

Thanks for the kind comments guys!:o

Keegs, i agree the shot would have been better had i extended the shutter. There is always a next time!!

Sgt, 3 am man!!! you crazy, you better start carrying lightning rods with you.i dont think i'm addicted yet but everytime it starts to rain over here i am hoping for lightning and thunder lol! However we don't get the awesome storms that mid country gets, most of the time the lightning is like you said in a rain shaft.

As for that blue light, I shot this pic with my WB set to Auto. Whenever I take night shots with street lights in Auto it chooses a warmer temp. I had to drop the temp ( shot in raw ) to make the colors more accurate. So that blue light was most likely a car with Halogens or "true whites" and turned blue in post.

-Mike